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Topic: History of the UOC in North America? (Read 1294 times)

Can anyone give me a detailed history of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in North America? I u understand that the Ukrainian Church was considered uncanonical for a long time by most other Orthodox jurisdictions here on this continent until they were placed under the EP sometime ago? Also, what was the genesis of the Ukrainian Church here? Where its founding members originally from the Greek Catholic Church (like with the Russians) or were they Orthodox upon arrival here?

I have a book entitled "Guide to Orthodox America" originally published in 1965. It list, at least 4 different Ukrainian Church jurisdictions existing in America (at the time). How many still exist today?

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I know that the Ukranian Orthodox church of canada (canonical) was formed when Ukranian Orthodox and Ukranian catholics who felt supressed by the Latin Church merged. Sorry, very little I know. When did the UOCA and UOCC become canonical?

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The larger Ukrainian jurisdictions, in the Western Hemisphere, (significantly South Bound Brook) became generally recognized in the early 1990's (I can't recall the exact year; it might have been '94) when, on the Sunday of Orthodoxy, their hierarchs celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Phanar, with His All Holiness, Ecumenical Patriarch Batholomew. For some reason I recall that their Canadian jurisdiction was accepted by the EP somewhat sooner. Their jurisdiction's web sites have their history, but the canonisity issue is not really mentioned. Their jurisdictions are technically eparchy's of the Ecumenical Throne, although, through the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, though, the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Canada may be the intermediary jurisdiction for Canada.

How was the issue of the canonical problems (bishops being consecrated by priest and laity) solved? Did the Ukrainian bishops have to be re consecrated by the EP? What about all the marriages and priestly ordinations performed by the UOC bishops since their foundation up until the time of the reunion with the Phanar?

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Men may dislike truth, men may find truth offensive and inconvenient, men may persecute the truth, subvert it, try by law to suppress it. But to maintain that men have the final power over truth is blasphemy, and the last delusion. Truth lives forever, men do not.-- Gustave Flaubert

In 1936 the Ecumenical Patriarch accepted the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in America under his omophorion and in 1937 Bishop Bohdan (Spylka) was consecrated as bishop of the diocese. Under his guidance the jurisdiction also began to thrive and the number of parishes and faithful grew, almost rivaling the growth of the American-Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA under Archbishop John.

The two Ukrainian Orthodox jurisdictions co-existed in the USA for the next 17 years. They both expanded, with Archbishop John also heading the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Canada and Bishop Bohdan establishing several parishes there, as well.

In 1942, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Ukraine was re-born once again, during a brief relaxation of religious persecution during the German occupation of Ukraine. One of bishops consecrated for the resurrected church in 1942 in Kyiv was Bishop Mstyslav (Skrypnyk), who eventually came to Canada to lead the Ukrainian Orthodox Church there, taking over from Archbishop John. Bishop Mstyslav left Canada within a few years and came to the United States to join the jurisdiction of Bishop Bohdan. He had a great desire to unite the two existing jurisdictions in the USA. Bishop Mstyslav, who was a validly consecrated bishop, persuaded Archbishop John to submit to a new consecration in order to resolve all canonical questions about his Episcopal status and as prerequisite of unification of the two churches. In 1949 Archbishop John agreed and was consecrated by Bishop Mstyslav and Metropolitan Christopher, Exarch to the USA of the Alexandrian Patriarchate.

In 1950, both jurisdictions held separate Sobors in New York City at St. Volodymyr Cathedral on 14th Street – one in the Church itself and one in the Church auditorium. Then on 13 October a combined Sobor of unification took place in the Church where all the parishes of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA under Archbishop John and the majority of the parishes of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in America united by signing an Act of Unification. Unfortunately, some clergy and parishes under Bishop Bohdan were not convinced and persuaded him to reject the union. Bishop Mstyslav did, however, join with the majority of Ukrainian Orthodox Church in America parishes and Archbishop John was recognized as presiding prelate and Mstyslav as President of the Consistory of the now greatly expanded Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA. The Act of Unification was proclaimed during Divine Liturgy on the Feast of the Protection of the Mother of God – Pokrova – 14 October – in St. Volodymyr Cathedral by newly elevated Metropolitan John, Archbishop Mstyslav and Archbishop Hennadij with the following words:

“From today our Churches, the American Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the United States of America and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in America are united and form One, Holy Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the United States of America, which from this day forward will live and act as a Metropolia under one spiritual leadership and be governed by one constitution, which we at the same time collegially ratify and accept.”

We can only imagine the immense joy felt by the participants of this joint Sobor at hearing these words and what they envisioned to come in the life of their Holy Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

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So the uoc-usa was under the alexandrian patriarchate from the 1940's until the 1990's Why was theis jurisdiction not recognized as canonical by the rest of world Orthodoxy?

I am interested in the history of the UOC and am not trying to be offensive, just wondering?

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Men may dislike truth, men may find truth offensive and inconvenient, men may persecute the truth, subvert it, try by law to suppress it. But to maintain that men have the final power over truth is blasphemy, and the last delusion. Truth lives forever, men do not.-- Gustave Flaubert